Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-09-15

uecIinea- he wouiu sell outright or
not at all. After some chaffering and
a rough survey of the bed, they took
all the farm but the widows five
acres. and paid seventy-fve thousand
dollars.
"a fool for luck,n was the general
comment. Bus the reputation OF
Foljambe for downright folly was at
its height when it leaked out alter
ward that he had settled thirty-fve
thousand seven hundred and fifty
dollars on Mrs. Peabody-that is, the
interest during life to ner. and the
principal to her daughter afterward.
No words suficed to express the won-
der, contempt and disgust at this act
of folly.
Old Riggs died about this time, and
Oalchieze offered me a share in the
business if | could put in five thous-
and dollars. had saved a little over
hall OF that by pinching and ~screwing,
Foljambe found it out, and gave me
the money or my note. Some folks
may think this folly on his part, but
| did not, neither did he. for i have
paid it back long n
When tho Widow Peabody got her
money, she sent Rebeeca off to board
ing-school, as she could well afford to,
and there the girl remained for four
years, barring visits home at vaca-
ton. When she came back to stay,
she had grown into a handsome, self
possessed young woman, and she was
quite admired by the young fellows
around. In addition to good looks
and good manners, she would have a
nice sum in hard cash in time-a good
thing to add to young mans family
resources. But she was OF q domestic
turn, stayed at home with her moth
er, and rarely went abroad. No suit
or seemed to meet favor in her eyes,
though she had several.
During Rebecca's absence at school.
Foljambe had been going along quiet
ly, and people had ceased to talk OF
him; but shortly after her return he
broke out again.
One day, an old man in a dusty
suit and boots that had been black
ened a week before, and who carried
a small grip.sack, got out at Brantford
station and inquired ifthe Widow Pea
body liyedat the old farm yet. Wesoon
learned that he was the long-lost Da-
vid Peabody who had come back after
all these years, apparently as poor
as a church mouse, and doubtless
with intent to spong on IL. low
Peabody. He was not SO old
either, but looked like a me-" whom
hard luck and ahot climate dried
up and wrinkled.
To our surprise he was M . well
come by the widow and Rebecca, and
took up his abode there. He was q
queer specimen. After the dust oftrav-
ell had been brushed off he was clean
enough; but his clothes we're of ordi-
nary material and well worn. 1t was
evident that he was poor, but he
didn't seem to mind it. He walked
about and held himself up as though
he owned one-half the town and meant
to buy the other. He was real with
his tongue, too, and, if any oi.s said a
disagreeable or impertinent thing,
could repay it with interest. Foljam-
be took q great notion to him, and
told me that the old man was keen
and had wonderfully pra ctical bust
ness ideas for one who had not profted
by his precepts, q thing | have observ-
ed to be not uncommon. A mar
can pick up more valuable hints from
the unsuccessful around him than he
can from sharp business men. So the
two grew quiet intimate, and almost
any fine evening they might be seen
in confab together on the widows
front porch, with the widow and
Rebecca near, interested listeners
to their chat.
This was in August, 1850. The
whole country was in stage OF ex.
element. 1t was known that recon-
citation between the warning demo-
cratic factions was impossible that
Lincoln should be elected. The ques-
ton was, would there be war? Fol-
jamie suddenly put the plantation
in charge OF old Uncle David, and
went off south. He visited Virginia,
North Carolina and Georgia, and
was gone about two months.
When he came back. / asked him,
"Does the South really mean fight,
Mr.. Foljambe?"
at really Does" he replied, sadly;
II don't think they'll be able to keep
it up more than q year or SO, unless
England interferes, for we have the
most money and the most men; but
it will be fierce while it lasts. 1t Is
going to disturb values verp much.
as well as domestic relations"
The first thing Foljambe did on
coming home was to build a number
of long wooden sheds, some of them
enclosed; and he kept the carpenters
going day and night. The whole
neiehborhood was aroused. Was he
going into sheep-raising on a large
scale or what growing folly was Fool
Jim at now? Twas his only partisan.
Every one said he was going stark,
staring mad. But the excitement
grew to a hubbub when there came
carload after carload; by the railway,
OF barrels OF rosin and bales OF cotton
the former stored under the open
and the latter i'll the enclosed sheds.
The Gotten did not excite so much as
constituent, but the rosinl Such an
amount of It'll Some one had the GU
riosity to nose around and count the
number OF barrels piled in one of the
long and high sheds. Ten thousand
OF theml And there were FIVE more
such sheds, and jammed full. Sixty
thousand barrels of rosin! And no
end OF Gotten bales! What would he
do with it? What could he do with
it?
The only partisan he had, as / have
said, was myself, and l picked up a
dozen quarrels about it. Some one
asked old Peobody about it.
"Uncle David, is Fool Jim GAVIN to
set up a cotton factory an a ship
yard? Me5be he'll SEN his ships down
by the railroad"
SONNY" said David, ''pack your
head in ice. James Foliambe knows
more in one minute than you're likely
to know in a year."
In the midst OF this clamor came a
bit of gossip not too pleasant. There
was venom in it. Bill Cowan, who
was always nosing about, and kept
his eyes open and his tongue busy,
came into the shop one day to get a
plug of chewing tobacco.
'drell you what, Galchieze," he said,
addressing my partner, II guess
they'll call Fool Jim villain Jim,'
afore long"
"What do you mean, you scamp"
l demanded angrily.
"Scamp yourself, an see how you
like it," he retorted. "What do |
mean? I'll tell you. an l amt afraid
TO. | was crossin' by Widow Pea
body's last night, and what does | see
but Jim Foliambe with his arm
around Becky Peabody's waist, an
she a-leanin' up to him like a sick kitten
TO a hot brick. Stands to reason he's
foolin' the girls. -Ierybody knows
he's sweet on Miss Elton. an she's got
dollars to Becky Peabody's dimes.
You don't suppose Foljambe means
ANYTHING but foolin' Becky, do YOU?